Stalker

There are hunters who track deer through snowfall, who can read broken twigs like scripture, and who know the patience required to wait days for a single perfect shot. Then there are Stalkers. To a Stalker, ordinary prey eventually becomes hollow. The thrill fades. The rhythm of the chase becomes predictable. Beasts flee on instinct, bandits panic when cornered, and monsters lash out with brute fury. None of it satisfies the deep, restless hunger that drives a true Stalker forward. What they seek is not simply victory, but pursuit itself — the tension of tracking something intelligent, dangerous, and capable of hunting them in return. Stalkers are rangers who have crossed beyond the boundaries of conventional hunting. They pursue creatures whispered about in frightened taverns and hidden within forbidden texts: vampires that vanish into noble courts, ancient fiends wearing mortal faces, shapeshifters hidden among villages, rogue fey lurking beneath moonlit groves, and horrors born from forgotten magic. Some Stalkers hunt these creatures to protect civilization. Others do it for vengeance, obsession, religious duty, or the intoxicating exhilaration of proving themselves against impossible prey. Over years of relentless pursuit, a Stalker develops an uncanny understanding of fear, instinct, and survival. They learn how supernatural creatures think, how intelligent prey lies, hides, and manipulates. They become experts at tracking what should not be traceable and surviving encounters that should kill ordinary hunters. Their senses sharpen beyond mortal limits, allowing them to notice the unnatural silence before an ambush or the scent of blood lingering beneath illusion magic. Yet the hunt changes them. A Stalker spends so long pursuing creatures that dwell beyond the natural order that the wilderness itself begins to answer them differently. Ancient forces — primal spirits, forgotten gods of the hunt, eldritch entities lurking behind the stars, or divine powers tied to vengeance and judgment — recognize the Stalker’s relentless will. This bond grants them access to magic uncommon among rangers, though the source of that power differs depending on the path they choose. Some Stalkers invoke sacred oaths and divine judgment, becoming relentless executioners of evil whose magic resembles that of a paladin. These hunters mark wicked souls with radiant fury and pursue them with unwavering conviction. Others form dangerous pacts with shadowed beings, ancient predators, or entities that delight in the hunt itself. These Stalkers wield unsettling magic akin to a warlock, using curses, unnatural senses, and eldritch power to break prey mentally before striking physically. Some surrender themselves fully to the primal wilds, embracing ancient druidic rites that bind them to predator spirits, moonlit forests, and the savage balance of nature. These Stalkers become living extensions of the wilderness, silent and merciless as the creatures they emulate. Regardless of the source of their magic, all Stalkers share one truth: once they choose a target, the hunt rarely ends until either hunter or prey lies dead. Among adventurers, Stalkers are often unsettling companions. They speak little while tracking, stare too long at blood trails, and carry trophies from creatures most people pray never to encounter. They are known for preparing obsessively before a hunt, studying weaknesses, mapping escape routes, and patiently learning every habit of their quarry before making their move. When the moment finally comes, a Stalker strikes with terrifying precision, exploiting fear and weakness like a predator that has already decided the outcome. To face a Stalker is to realize you are being watched long before you ever see them. It is the feeling of footsteps where none should be, of traps appearing along your path, of shadows moving just beyond firelight. It is knowing that somewhere nearby is a hunter patient enough to follow you across kingdoms, through storms, forests, ruins, and even planes of existence if necessary. And once a Stalker begins the hunt, escape becomes nearly impossible.

Hunter’s Obsession

While a creature is your Quarry:

• You always know the direction of the Quarry while on the same plane of existence.
• The Quarry cannot gain advantage against you from being unseen.
• Your weapon attacks against the Quarry deal an additional 2d4 damage. Gain an extra d4 at 5,7,10,12,16,20
• The first time each turn the Quarry willingly moves away from you, its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of its next turn.
• You gain advantage on Survival, Investigation, and Insight checks related to the Quarry.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier per long rest.

Chosen Rite

The hunt has changed you, granting access to supernatural magic. Choose one of the following rites:

Rite of Judgment (Paladin)

You gain access to divine magic fueled by conviction and execution.

• You learn the Thaumaturgy cantrip.
• Once per turn when you hit your Quarry, you may deal extra radiant damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
• You gain proficiency in Religion if you lack it.

Rite of Shadows (Warlock)

You bind yourself to eldritch powers tied to fear, darkness, or predation.

• You learn the Minor Illusion cantrip.
• Your Quarry cannot benefit from invisibility against you within 30 feet.
• You gain proficiency in Arcana if you lack it.

Rite of the Wild Hunt (Druid)

Primal spirits guide your pursuit.

• You learn the Druidcraft cantrip.
• Difficult terrain does not slow you.
• Your Quarry leaves faint spectral tracks visible only to you for 2 hour after moving.
• You gain proficiency in Nature if you lack it.

Rite of Judgment (Paladin)

You gain access to divine magic fueled by conviction and execution.

• You learn the Thaumaturgy cantrip.
• Once per turn when you hit your Quarry, you may deal extra radiant damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
• You gain proficiency in Religion if you lack it.

Rite of Shadows (Warlock)

You bind yourself to eldritch powers tied to fear, darkness, or predation.

• You learn the Minor Illusion cantrip.
• Your Quarry cannot benefit from invisibility against you within 30 feet.
• You gain proficiency in Arcana if you lack it.

Rite of the Wild Hunt (Druid)

Primal spirits guide your pursuit.

• You learn the Druidcraft cantrip.
• Difficult terrain does not slow you.
• Your Quarry leaves faint spectral tracks visible only to you for 3 hours after moving.
• You gain proficiency in Nature if you lack it.

No Safe Haven

Your Quarry finds it nearly impossible to escape your pursuit.

While tracking your Quarry:

• You ignore nonmagical difficult terrain.
• You cannot become lost except by magical means.
• Your Quarry has disadvantage on checks made to hide from you.
• If your Quarry teleports or magically travels, you learn the direction and distance of where it reappeared if within 5 miles.

Additionally, when your Quarry damages a creature other than you while within 30 feet of you, you may use your reaction to move up to half your speed toward it without provoking opportunity attacks.

Predator’s Pressure

You have learned how to mentally and physically exhaust prey.

Once per turn when you hit your Quarry with a weapon attack, choose one effect:

• Reduce its speed by 15 feet until the start of your next turn.
• Prevent it from taking reactions until the start of its next turn.
• Force it to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

A creature that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to the frightened effect from this feature for 24 hours.

Apex Pursuer

You embody the inevitability of the hunt.

Your Quarry gains no benefit from:

• Nonmagical invisibility
• Half cover against your attacks
• Magical disguises that alter appearance

Additionally:

• When your Quarry drops to 0 hit points, you may immediately designate a new Quarry without using a bonus action.
• If your Quarry attempts to teleport within 60 feet of you, you may use your reaction to move up to your speed toward the destination point immediately after the teleport resolves.
• Once per long rest, when your Quarry would force you to make a saving throw, you may choose to automatically succeed instead.